HAZRAT KHWAJA ABU AHMED ABDAAL CHISTI (RADI ALLAHU ANHU)

EARLY LIFE

At the age of 7 years, he became a majzoob and regularly attended the mehfil-e-sama of Hazrat Khwaja Abu Is’haaq Chisti (the founder of the Chistiya Order). Once, when Khwaja Abu Ishaaq Chisti (Radi Allahu Anhu) saw him, he said to him: “Lovers should attend mehfil-e-sama, and you are worthy of listening to sama.” These words had such an effect of the young Khwaja Abu Ahmed Chisti (Radi Allahu Anhu), that he came out of the intoxicated spiritual state he was in, and all the veils were removed from his eyes. Nothing between the Arsh of Allah, and the abyss, were hidden from his vision. At this young age, whatever he mentioned from his blessed lips, took place, and very great and knowledgeable people of that time showed respect towards him. He received most of his knowledge through divine inspiritation (ILM LADUNI – see “Excellence of Seeking Knowledge” in our Tasawwuf/Sufism section).

BIRTH

It is also reported that Hazrat Khwaja Abu Ishaaq Chisti (Radi Allahu Anhu) used to have supper at the house of a very pious lady. One day, he told her that in the house of your brother will be born a child, who will be a great personality of his time. It is necessary for you to go to the house of your brother, and remain in their service, and make sure that during the period of pregnany, the mother does not consume anything haraam. This lady followed Khwaja Abu ishaaq’s (Radi Allahu Anhu) instructions, and remained in that service until the child was born.

BAI’AT AND SPIRITUAL STRIVINGS

When Hazrat Abu Ishaaq Chisti (Radi Allahu Anhu) used to come and see the child, he used to say: “From this child, I smell a scent by which this family will become very elevated in status and piety.” It is narrated that once, while Hazrat Abu Ahmed (Radi Allahu Anhu) was about 20 years old, he accompanied his father on a hunting expedition in the nearby mountains. During this expedition, he became separated from his father, and went into a nearby cave. There he saw 40 of the Rijaal-ul-Ghaib, and in the center, was seated Hazrat Abu Ishaaq Chisti (Radi Allahu Anhu). He disembarked from his horse, and fell at the feet of Hazrat Abu Ishaad Chisti (Radi Allahu Anhu) and became his mureed, and joined the company of the Rijaal-ul-Ghaib. He used to remain engrossed in the zikr of “La ilaaha ilallahu Muhammadur Rasoolallah”. He fasted regularly, and used to break his fast once every seven days, eating only 3 morsels of food. He used to complete 2 full recitations of the Qur’an during the day, and 2 during the night, and this was his daily practice. He also used to regularly perform Salaat-ul-Tahajud. After performing Salat-ul-Tahajud, he used to make dua, saying: “O Allah! Have mercy on your servants. Forgive the sinners from amongst the ummah of Rasoolallah (Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam).” Thereafter, a voice used to say: “O Abu Ahmed! We have accepted your duas and we have forgiven 10 000 (ten thousand) sinners due to your dua, and on the Day of Qiyamat, they will enter Paradise with you.” For seven years in succession, he never missed one Salat-ul-Tahajud, and he used to make this same dua every night, and receive this same reply. From this, one can imagine how many received salvation due to the dua of Hazrat Abu Ahmed Abdaal Chisti (Radi Allahu Anhu).

SUCCESSION

His murshid bestowed upon him the khilafat of the Chistiya Silsila, and declared him his successor. After placing the cloak of khilafat on him, Hazrat Abu Ishaaq Chisti (Radi Allahu Anhu) said: “O Abu Ahmed! You are my son, and whatever spiritual grace I have received from my murshid, I have given it to you.” Thereafter he held Khwaja Abu Ahmed’s (Radi Allahu Anhu) hand, and faced the Qibla, and supplicated: “O Allah! Abu Ahmed is a servant of your court. Whatever I was bestowed with, I have given it to him. I am now entrusting him to you. You make him successful.” A voice from the unseen said: “O Abu Ishaaq! We have accepted Abu Ahmed and have made him our friend. The treasures of Ma’rifat has been placed in his heart.” When Hazrat Abu Ishaaq Chisti (Radi Allahu Anhu) heard this, he became very pleased, and declared: “Abu Ahmed is greater and wealthier than the worldly kings of Arabia and Persia. I swear by Allah, even if the kingdom of Hazrat Sulaiman (Alaihis Salaam) was offered to me, I would have refused. Hazrat Muhammad (Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam) is the king of all the Derwesh, but he lived in poverty. Who are we to accept the worldly pleasures.”

LIFE

Khwaja Abu Ahmed Chisti (Radi Allahu Anhu) was always found crying in the fear of Allah. Once a person said to him: “O Abu Ahmed! You are a beloved of Allah. By your one glance, a non-believer becomes a muslim. Then why do you cry so much out of fear?” Hearing these words, he began to cry even more, and said to that person: “Barsia Zahid, and Baljam bin Ba’ud were friends of Allah, and they were also bestowed with great spiritual power by Allah, and many were freed from hell due to them. Due to some reason, when Allah looked at them with displeasure, they lost their imaan, and their fate has remained very famous. Therefore, I cry out of fear for Him, because Allah is very just and whoever he wishes to keep near, he keeps near, and whoever he wishes to keep far, he keeps them distant.”

Like all the other Masha’ikh e-Chist, he loved the listening of sama. His mefile-e-sama had such an effect that if a sinner attended it he would become pious, if a sick attended he would be cured. He believed that whatever he had attained was due to sama. He once said, “If I declare the secrets of sama the people would not ask Allah for anything besides sama.”

MIRACLE

Once Hazrat Abu Ahmed (Radi Allahu Anhu) was passing through a jungle that was infested with non-believers, who hated muslims. If a muslim was found passing through, they used to be captured, totured, and sometimes they were thrown into burning fire. When Hazrat Abu Ahmed (Radi Allahu Anhu) passed through, he was also captured. He was asked by them: “Are you a muslim?” He replied: “All praise be to Allah! Yes, I am muslim, and I am the reciter of the kalima.” The kuffar then told him: “We have taken the oath of “lath and uzza” (these were the idols that the pagan Arabs worshipped – these were destroyed by the Holy Prophet – Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam) that we will not leave any muslim that passes here alive, and we are going to throw you into burning fire, and if you come out alive we will then believe that it is true that, a true reciter of the kalima will not burn in hell.” Hazrat Abu Ahmed (Radi Allahu Anhu) then told them that: “Indeed, you are speaking the truth, because the fire of hell will not touch one who recites the kalima sincerely.” When he said this, the kuffar got angry at him, and told him: “If you are a true muslim, why don’t you enter into the fire, so that we may see your fate.” Immediately Hazrat Abu Ahmed (Radi Allahu Anhu) entered into the blazing fire, and engaged himself in namaaz. When the kuffar saw that the fire became cool, and did not harm the Khwaja, they immediately repented, and became muslims and sincere mureeds of Hazrat Abu Ahmed (Radi Allahu Anhu).

DEMISE

Hazrat Khwaja Abu Ahmed Chisti (Radi Allahu Anhu) passed away on the 1st of Jamadil Akhir, and his mazaar is situated in the village of Chist in Afghanistan. He bestowed the khilafat of the Chistiya Silsila on his dear mureed, Hazrat Khwaja Muhammad Chisti (Radi Allahu Anhu).

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